Traction-engine.



A. O. LOMBARD.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNI: z5, 1910.

PatentedrJune 3, 1913.

s SHEETS-SHEET 1.

A. 0. LOMBARD.

TRAGTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNB25, 1910.

m@ E@ i3@ 3@ A. 0. LOMBARD.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 25, 1910.

3 SHHETS-BHEBT 3.

. Patentedune 3,1913.

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entran sraafns rarnnr ernten.

vALVIN o. LOMBARD, or wn'rnnvmnn, tranen.

TRACTlIUhT-ENGINE,

Speoeation of Letters Patent. v

Patenten sans sarete'.

eppnegaonlmearune as, 1910.A serial nasca-eea To allf'whomz't may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALVINv O. LOMBARD, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Waterville, in the county of Kennebec -and State oflMaines have invented certain new'a'n'duseful Improvements in Traction-Engines, of which' the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traction engines and has for its .object the production of Va device of this class which is especially adapted for drawing a plurality of caravans over rough roads..

:One of its objects is to simplify the construction of a device of this class and to distribute the load over the surface of the road4 -andto this end the tractor is located midhe features of they present invention. Fig.

2 represents a side eleva-tion of the same.

Fig. 3 represents an elevation of a portion of the tractor showing the intermediate rollers between the exible traction belt and the supporting frame thereof. Fig. 4 represents a plan View of a portion of the traction belts showing the method ofv con-4 necting the two together. Fig-f5 represents an elevation of a portion of 'a traction belt sprocket wheel andv a portion of the traetlon belt coperatingtherewith. Fig. 6 represents a transverse section of the same, the cutting plane being on line (3-6 on Figs. 4 and 5, and Fig. 7 represents a horizontal section ofthe forward end of the tractor frame, showing the means of taking up the slack inthe intermediate roller system.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawthe drawings, 10, 10 represent side frames forming-With the cross-bars 11, 129

a' chassis the forward end of which is supported by the wheels 13 adapted to be moved about the pivots 14 b means of the steering wheel 15 in any we l-'known manner. On

top of the forward end of the chassis is a casing 16 within which is mounted an engine 17 of any wellknown 'construction 'which re volves `a shafty 18 mounted in suitablesbearings and extending'toward the 'rear of 'the chassis'. To'the rear end ott-his shaft 18 1s secured a bevel .pinion 19 meshing 'with a bevel gear '20'with1n a -casing 21 fand secured to a revoluble `shaft 22. On each 'end ofthis shaft f22is a sprocket wheel 23 with "each of which engages. a 'sprocket' chain 24' passing around a ,sprocket wheel 25. ysecured 'to 'la shaft 26 in bearings in the rear "ei'id of the tractor frame 27. This 'frame'Q has 'ad-r Just-'ably secured 'thereto'bearings 28 for a shaft 29 supportedin bearings 3U securedto the side frames'() ofthe chassis.

At the front 'end of 'the tractorifframeg? is secured vbearings'd fora shaft'32. In

slo-ts'33 vin the front and 'rear ends. ofthe tractor frame27ksand secured to the shafts 26-and 32 are sprocket wheels 34 and 35. @n these sprocket wheels 34- and 35 are mounted a pair of flexiblevtraction belts 36, 36, slightly separated by a plurality of rollers 37 mounted upon the hinge pins 38 extending through the ears 39 of the vVarious sections forming said traction belt. and thereby pivotally connecting said sections together. Intermediatetheends of each section is avr-ib i4K) adapted to 'engage with the surface of the'ground. overwhich the tractor lis 'moving and secure a holdthereon. The

tractor frame 27 is provided with outwardly extendin 'ianges 41' to the lower -horizontal Hangs o -whieh is secured a runnerinember 42 against which the intermediate rotler system bears. This system consists of rollers 43 mounted upon pins 4iii-'and connected ltogether on either. sideA 'ofsaid rollers bythe links :45, "making a continuous system of rollers movable about the frame 27 and inter'posed atone point .between the. runner member 42 and that portion 'of the iexible Y traction belt 36 that is-in engagement with` the surface of the road over which Ithe traction engine is passing. The slack in this roller system vis taken up by means ofa curved endlplate 46 havinga slot 47 ,therein .through which extend the bolts 4B threaded at their inner ehds to the tractor 4frame 27, a friction plate 49 being interposed between the heads 50 of said bolts and .the 'outer side faces of said-plates'46. When the `endplate 46 has been adjusted into its desired posi'- tion and clamped by means of the bolts 4S the threaded member 51 is adjusted into'engagement with the inner endof the plate in. will 46 and 'is locked in position' by the nut 52, this threaded member and nut 52 preventing any accidental dis lacernent of the plate longitudinally ot the 'rame 27. llo the cross bar l2 is secureda suitable coupling 53 by which the trucks desired to be hauled may' be coupled to the traction engine.

A' gasolene tank 54 is secured to the trame 55 supported above the chassis, gasolene from t in any well-known manner through the supply pipe 56. An oil tank 57 is located above each sprocket chain 24 and oil is supplied from this tank to the chain as the vehicle :moves along the road. Owing to the position oit' the tractor at the extreme rear end of the chassis and the'strain of the vehicles .coupled to the rear end of said chassis, the

tractor is pulled down into contact with the ground and secures a i'irm hold thereon 'as 'the engine is advancing.

' A. great advantage has been found in constructing the engine this manner with the tractor intermediate the side frames of the chassis as by so doing` the tractor does not follow inA the path of the front wheels 13 but moves in a path independent and intermediate thereof. Y Byqdoing this the making of deep ruts in the road is 'obviated as the weight ont the device is better distributed and it has been found in practice that the traction engine works better with this' threepoint suspension than has` been the case where a pair ot tractors has been used, one on either ,side of the chassis and following in the-path ot the trent wheels. ln such cases the front wheels themselves sustainingl ing-heavy weights are liable to `sink still :farther inthe ruts thus lformed.

It will 'be observed lthat in the present construction vthe bulk of the weight upon the engine when drawing a plurality of caravans is at its extreme end and that this weight will y ull the tractor down so' that it gets a firm old upon the ground and as the flexible traction belt is moved in the direction of the arrow a on l'lig. 2, the traction engine will be caused to advance'and the load on the trucks or caravans will be pulled readily. As the most of the weight thus sustained is at the rear of the chassis it is obvious that the iront wheels will not be so liable toiorm ruts in the road and as a consequence the wheels of the caravans follow.-

practically pass over fresh ground :tree :trom such ruts. The spaces 58 in the tractor sprocket 'wheels are elongated and the' rollers 37 therein occupy but a portion of said spaces so 1s tank being supplied to th-e engine that there is' no chance for these spaces to be filled up with mud and dirt and interfere with the operation of the tractor belt 36. @wing to the length of the spaces relative to 'the diameter ot the rollers when any dirt or other material becomes embedded in the space 58 the chains 36 are permitted to slip s 1 glitly in these spaces and as the rollers'37 other side and the mud and other substances getting into the spaces between the teeth of the sprocket wheels and the openings through the belt sections would strain the sections until they became broken. Wit-h the present construction this objection is entirely obviated.

lt is believed that the operation and many -advantagesof the invention will be fully apparent from the foregoing.

Having thus described my invention, I claims;`y

i.. lin a traction engine, a tractor consisting "ot a frame having central slots at each end; a sprocket wheel 1n each slot; two separated tract-ion belts movable about said traine and in the same plane therewith; pivot pins connecting said -belts together; rollers on said pius between said belts and engaging said sprocket wheels; and means 'f for driving said sprocket wheels.

2. in a traction engine, atractor consistingg of a trarne having central slots at each end; a sprocket wheel in each slot having elongated spaces between the teeth; tw

separated traction belts movable about said frame; pivot pins connecting said belts tooether; rollers on said ins between said elts and engaging suinin sprocket wheels, said rollers occupying but a portion of the spaces between the teeth; and rneans for driving said 'sprocket wheels.

3. in a traction engine, a tractor consisting of a frame havin Acentral slots at each s end; a sprocket wheel in each slot; a traction belt movable about saidtrame; a curved end plate at one end ot' saidtra'me having :an elongated slot therethrough; clamping bolts secured to said frame and extending/through said slot; a plurality of rollers movable independently of said tract-ion belt over said trame and curved plate and interposed between them and said' traction belt; and

means for adjusting the position of said end yplate relative to said traine.

'4. ln a traction engineya tractor consist@ ing of a' frame composedont two separated parallel runners each having an outward tension thereon; bearings in opposite ends of said runners, revoluble shafts therein; a sprocket wheel secured to each shaft between said runners; curved members adjustable on' each runner relative to the ends of sind eX-' 10 rounding each extension and the curved members at each end thereof, the rollers of said chains being interposed between said extensions 'and said traction belts.

Signed by me at Waterville, Me., this 23rd day of June, 1910.

l Witnesses:

CLARA E. BREWSTER, GRACE L. Vosn. 

